Sale: Nomos 7, Lot: 20. Estimate CHF3750.  Closing Date: Tuesday, 14 May 2013.  Sold For CHF7000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of SKYTHIA. Sariakos. Mid 2nd century BC. Drachm (Silver, 3.85 g 11). Head of youthful Dionysos to right, wearing ivy wreath. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛ[ΕΩΣ]- ΣΑΡΙΑΚ[ΟΥ] Bowcase, club and grain ear on stalk; below, monogram of ΠΥΡ. From the same dies as Triton II, 1998, 339 and Spink 3014, 2003, 24. Cf. SNGBM Black Sea 353 (bronze). Extremely rare, one of a very few known examples. Nicely toned with some minor flatness as struck, otherwise, extremely fine.

From the Spina Collection, ex Leu 77, 11 May 2000, 127.

Little is known about Sariakos, other than that he was a king who struck coins and was mentioned in an inscription found in Bulgaria. He has been given a variety of dates, all basically in the 2nd century BC, that of c.168-150 being the most precise, but others place him toward the end of the century. In any case his silver coinage is of great rarity, and this is probably the finest example known.